Treating Patients with Dignity

A study by Brunel
University, London suggests that health and social care professionals put a
different emphasis on the meaning of dignity than their patients do. The study
has uncovered a gap between what patients expect and the focus of care
professionals.

The study included 33
health and social care professionals in eight focus groups. The participants
described dignity as the backbone of nursing and mentioned the extra little
things that are done for the patients. When asked what dignified care meant to them, most referred to it as a conceptual idea. Having respect for others and ensuring the patients felt safe and secure and were treated as individuals were also mentioned. A few made reference to how dignified care
included hands-on tasks such as washing, dressing and feeding.

The participants
focused on how care should be delivered ideally and not how it is actually
done. The observations suggest a gap in the rhetoric of dignity between
professionals' emphasis of what it means on a more conceptual level and how it
is actually translated to hands-on-care tasks.

Breaches in dignity are
still a problem with the NHS. Hands-on-care tasks are often the
focus of such breaches, particularly for older patients who have emphasised the
importance of such tasks being provided in a dignified manner.

Christina Victor,
Professor of Gerontology and Public Health at Brunel University London, said:
"It is important that dignity is enacted through a conceptual
understanding and part of everyday care, from communication, safety and
security to hands-on-care. Older patients in hospital can be particularly vulnerable
and we need to make sure that we don't overlook their need for food, water,
warm clothing and hygiene."

She highlighted that
the study observed good awareness of the need for respect, politeness and
kindness but that there was still a need to emphasise the importance of
providing dignified care in every aspect, including hands-on tasks such as feeding
and providing hygiene needs.

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